Although it will take the National Transportation Safety Board many months to conclude its investigation into the fatal crash of former Major League pitcher Roy Halladay’s Icon A5 on Tuesday afternoon, an eyewitness to the crash told Flying that the light sport amphibian was performing aggressive, low-level maneuvers that he described as “aerobatics” before it slammed into the water under controlled flight.
Eyewitness: Roy Halladay Was Performing ‘Aerobatics’ Before Fatal Crash
Key Takeaways:
- Former MLB pitcher Roy Halladay died in the crash of his Icon A5 amphibian aircraft.
- An eyewitness described the plane performing aggressive, low-level "aerobatics" with steep turns, sharp pitches, and dives before it crashed into the water.
- Halladay was relatively new to flying but had gained significant experience and ratings, having recently taken delivery of the first full-rate production A5.
- The Icon A5's transition training syllabus had recently been amended to urge pilots to perform only "benign" maneuvers below 300 feet.
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